This past Sunday was our daughter Maddie’s 10th birthday.
In August, our son Ethan turned 15, and then in September, our son Wyatt turned 13.
Yep. All three kids in double digits and two teenagers with a girl who is 10 going on 25.
Makes for some mighty fun times in our house these days, let me tell you.
All three are in different phases right now, too.
Ethan wants a job, his driver’s permit, and sleep. Probably par for the course for a high school sophomore, right?
Wyatt wants his Xbox, Fortnite, and omelettes. Probably pretty standard for an eighth grader, right?
Maddie wants makeup, beautiful dresses, dolls she can call her sons and daughters, and beef stew. Probably normal for a fifth grader, wouldn’t you say? Well, maybe not the beef stew, but Maddie certainly is unique.
It’s funny, though. Stephanie and I find ourselves reflecting back regularly on when each child was born, bringing them home from the hospital, waking up to feed them, their first smile, laugh, word, all the normal stuff.
So how has 15 years gone by in the blink of an eye?
I will say this. Kids make life worth it. They may be in phases of their lives where parents aren’t cool enough or parents are only good for rides from Point A to Point B and three meals a day, but there is always that unconditional love. At least in our house.
People always told us to enjoy the kids when they are young because at some point, they are out of the house and starting a new life of their own. Really, for our kids, that time is closer than the time they were born.
And as kids age, so do we.
My dad, as hard a working guy as I have ever known, retired last week after 30 years at a major plastics corporation in Macomb County. We celebrated with him, my mom, and my brother and sister and my brother’s family on his last day at my parents’ house. The kids made signs for the front lawn and we enjoyed cake and many, many laughs.
It’s moments like that that I think we need more of in this hideous world we live in.

— Matt Mackinder